Het boek van Siman den Javaan

Ernest Douwes DekkerProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.2

Word count: 557K words
Chapters: 56

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Het boek van Siman den Javaan by E. F. E. Douwes DekkerAuthor: Douwes Dekker, E. F. E., 1879-1950,Language: Dutch, Class: PT: Language and Literatures: Germanic, Scandinavian, and Icelandic literatures, Release Date: Feb 25, 2014

Editor's review

This is a Dutch-language work by the Dutch East Indies author Douwes Dekker, whose protagonist Siman is Javanese; the title itself signals the localness of the narrative perspective. Born in Java in 1879, the author occupies an insider's observational position within colonial society, giving the text the weight of social documentation alongside its literary expression. The free electronic edition from Project Gutenberg makes this scarce Dutch original more widely accessible, and it is well suited for use as a primary text in the study of Southeast Asian colonial literature and Dutch-language literature. When reading, pay attention to how the narrative language shapes the image of 'the Javanese,' and to the author's stance and hesitations within the colonial context. This is not an introductory work but rather material for close reading with a questioning awareness; reading it alongside relevant historical background yields clearer gains.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers studying Dutch East Indies colonial literature and history
Literature enthusiasts with Dutch reading ability and an interest in Southeast Asian writing
Scholars and students in postcolonial studies who need primary literary texts
Digital readers collecting Dutch-language literary resources from Project Gutenberg

Not a good fit for

General readers with no Dutch foundation who do not plan to use a translation
Casual readers expecting fast-paced plots or popular fiction
Readers who only want a general history of Indonesia and do not need literary texts

Reading tips

First gain a basic outline of Dutch East Indies colonial history before entering the text, to avoid misreading the characters' situations.
If Dutch is difficult, read alongside an English translation or relevant scholarly literature.
Note how the narrator describes Siman, and watch for colonial perspectives and biases.
After finishing, extend to Dutch-language colonial literature of the same period for horizontal comparison.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What language is this book written in, and is the reading threshold high?

The original is in Dutch, and Project Gutenberg provides a Dutch-language electronic edition. The threshold is relatively high for readers without a Dutch foundation; it is advisable to have some Dutch reading ability or to use translations and research materials for support. It is not suitable for direct reading as an introductory text.

What is the background of the author Douwes Dekker?

E. F. E. Douwes Dekker was born in 1879 and died in 1950, and had ties to the Dutch East Indies. The materials only show his birth and death years and his identity as the author of this book; specific experiences require separate verification, and it is not advisable to make excessive inferences based on information beyond this book's introduction.

What should be noted when using the electronic edition?

This book is a free e-book released by Project Gutenberg on February 25, 2014, and is a public-domain text. It may be downloaded freely for reading, but note that this version is an original transcribed text and may contain typesetting or OCR issues; when citing, it is advisable to check against the paper or authoritative edition.

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About the author

Ernest Douwes Dekker Author · Dutch · 1879–1950

Ernest Douwes Dekker (1879–1950) was a Dutch journalist and political activist born in the Dutch East Indies. He was one of the early advocates of the Indonesian nationalist movement, and his writings and activities contributed to spreading its ideas. One of his works is held in the collection: Het boek van Siman den Javaan. The book follows Siman, a Javanese man, through his experiences in colonial society, reflecting the author's concern with social conditions in the Dutch East Indies and his use of literature to express the call for national awakening. Public information on his family background, education and specific political activities is limited, and Chinese translations of this book are rare.